On tonight’s live catch‑up I’m joined by Paul from Norfolk for a properly down‑to‑earth ramble about real farming in 2026. We start with weather woes (finally, much‑needed East Anglian rain), then dive into Paul’s three‑year journey building a tiny dairy from scratch, why ice cream is the make‑or‑break value‑add, and the joy and jeopardy of doing it all cash‑flow‑first. We swap stories on balky kit (a long‑awaited milk tank that wouldn’t chill), once‑a‑day milking, weaning calves, and that viral “calf in a badger hole” video that split the internet. From sluggish spring sales and social media bans on livestock posts to vet bills, feed choices and resilience, it’s the candid side of food that shoppers rarely hear.

We range wider too: talk of fertiliser tightness and fuel costs; US feedlot practices versus regenerative examples; ticks and livestock health; vending machines versus a staffed farm shop; bartering and alternative payments (including crypto) alongside good old cash; why schools and forest schooling should put food, stockmanship and cooking back at the centre; and how more people are swerving supermarkets for farm shops, box schemes and home delivery. It’s practical hope: make great food, tell the truth, keep community at the heart—and crack on.

• 'White Oak Pastures' (regenerative ranch cited): https://whiteoakpastures.com/
• 'Tim Gibson Ltd' (portable/robotic milking equipment mentioned): https://tim-gibson.com/
• 'NFU (National Farmers’ Union of England & Wales)' (industry body referenced): https://www.nfuonline.com/about-us/
• 'DEFRA – UK Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs' (regulator referenced): https://www.gov.uk/guidance/contact-defra
• 'RSPB – Skylark (farmland bird discussed)': https://www.rspb.org.uk/helping-nature/what-we-do/influence-government-and-business/farming/advice-for-farmers-helping-bird-species/skylark-advice-for-farmers
• 'Bay’s Leap Dairy Farm' (raw/organic milk example): https://www.baysleaporganic.co.uk/dairy
• 'Riverford Organic Farmers' (veg‑box model mentioned): https://organic.riverford.co.uk/
• 'Abel & Cole' (veg‑box model mentioned): https://www.abelandcole.co.uk/
• 'Amazon Just Walk Out (UK overview)' (till‑less retail discussed): https://www.aboutamazon.co.uk/amazon-just-walk-out-o2-arena-london
• 'AdBlue – what it is (Yara UK explainer)' (diesel exhaust fluid discussed): https://www.yara.co.uk/chemical-and-environmental-solutions/adblue-for-vehicles/what-is-adblue/
• 'TikTok – About' (platform referenced around shopping and bans): https://www.tiktok.com/about
• 'eBay UK' (home‑delivery/marketplace trend): https://www.ebay.co.uk/
• 'Food Finders Hub' (community food directory mentioned): https://foodfindershub.org/
• 'Müller UK & Ireland' (processor referenced): https://www.muller.co.uk/
• 'Bitcoin SV (BSV) – project site' (alternative payments referenced): https://bitcoinsv.com/